If normcore has a polar opposite, it’s got to be Japan’s own “kawaii” style. Social media apps like Instagram have catapulted Japan’s fashion culture to international cult status. Even in the age of online shopping more and more people, including celebrities, are coming to experience the city’s many shops firsthand. We stopped by five of Tokyo’s coolest stores to check out the staff’s fall and winter fashions.

KANAMIさん（２６） ストアマネージャー/ プレス

KANAMI (26)Manager / Press

KANAMI says that she’s discovered a world of new music through fashion design. She’s been particularly influenced by punk-loving Korean designer 99%IS-. CANDY’s genre-defying styles are a perfect fit for this age where even rappers are wearing rock band tees.

高橋リエルさん （２１） スタッフ

Rieru Takahashi (21)Sales Associate

Part of the allure of vintage fashion is imagining the backstory of all the one-of-a-kind items you come across. Before working there, Rieru fell in love with Grimoire’s style while shopping for stage costumes (she’s currently on hiatus from music), giving birth to an interest in fashion. This vintage beaded top is one of her favorite items. For Fall and Winter she recommends trying wool skirts--vintage, naturally.

Yuko Nakamura (25)Sales Associate

This ultra-long rainbow sleeve shirt from up-and-coming designer “TAIXHI✴︎KYPAHAΣHI (Taichi Kurahashi)” and “Lucky Daikichi” bear cap look is sure to get double takes. It’s no surprise that Yuko says she tries to choose items and outfits that stand apart. The shop also houses some HYOMA-KUN swag, the mascot that took Harajuku by storm back in the nineties.

Juliaさん（２0） スタッフ

Julia (20)Sales Associate

Julia says that mixing prints can bring out something new and breathe life into them. The proof is in her outfit, with a skirt from her own brand “Ikinokori Battari” paired against a top with sutra-like print. She put the price stickers on her Docs there on a whim. Note that the total is higher than the shoes’ retail value. She says the fact that they slowly peel away is part of the charm.

AKINOさん（３０） 店長

AKINO (30)Manager

Barbie dolls and Trolls sit amidst an explosion of colorful clothes. This Japanese reimagining of an Western girl’s bedroom from the eighties or nineties is pure nostalgia for foreign customers. AKINO’s sweatshirt has an animal print just like those puffy stickers we used to play with as kids. You can’t help but want to run your fingers over the design to recapture a bit of your youth. For this Fall/Winter season she recommends fur hats like you see here.

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